The iPhone Duo lacks Face ID, a telephoto camera, and the Action Button, but
I still want it more than every Android foldable I've ever tested here's why

Date:
Wed, 09 Sep 2026 20:24:15 +0000

Description:
Apple has equipped the iPhone Duo with some of its most advanced components, while stripping back some staple features heres why I still want it on day one.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Apple has announced the iPhone Duo, its first-ever folding phone, calling it the most transformational
iPhone experience since the original. Like every other tech fan in the world right now, I want one.

As detailed in our Apple Event 2026 recap , Apple has decked out its first foldable with a range of high-spec specs befitting the phones Duo branding
and new Intelligent Personal Hub concept. It gets a 5.4-inch cover display, a 7.6-inch inner display, and an A20 Pro chipset. It also comes with a 48MP wide-angle camera, a 48MP ultra-wide camera, a 12MP selfie camera on the
cover screen, and an under-display camera under the inner screen. Apple also claims the iPhone Duo lasts up to 24 hours on a single charge when both screens are used equally. Put simply, this thing is a beast. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Ill say it right now I want the iPhone Duo more than Ive ever wanted a folding phone. Ive used plenty of the best folding phones in my time as a
tech journalist, penning TechRadars Honor Magic V5 review and Oppo Find N5 review , but the iPhone Duos combination of Apple finesse and futuristic form factor has put it squarely at the top of my shopping list now all I need is
a spare $1,999 / 1,999 / AU$3,499. (Image credit: Apple) However, the iPhone Duo comes with some caveats that could upset long-time Apple fans. It lacks Face ID, a staple since 2017. It also loses the Action Button, which you'll find on all but a few iPhones released since the iPhone 15 Pro launched in 2023. And it misses out on the telephoto camera boasted by its sibling, the iPhone 18 Pro, and similar zoom lenses sported by competitors like the
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold . You may like 5 major features the foldable iPhone Ultra might be missing Apple's late foldables arrival puts pressure on it to level up the category Apple Event 2026 recap foldable iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5, and more

Even if you dont use these features much, some Apple fans are bound to feel let down by the fact that the iPhone Duo misses out on key hardware found on cheaper models. But Im not one of these people here are five reasons why I still want the iPhone Duo more than any other folding phone. Ecosystem and software (Image credit: Apple) Its been said a million times, but Ill say it once more Apples ecosystem prowess is not to be underestimated. Despite a
few wobbles with the launch of iOS 26 last year, the Apple ecosystem is still the cleanest, least ad-infested, and most seamless software environment on
the consumer tech market. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from
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Having a folding phone join the fray gives Apple the opportunity to merge the function of the iPhone and iPad in new ways, bringing together the companys experience across mobile and tablet development. We saw this during the Duo's announcement Apple has created a fluid transition between folded and open states with a seamless Liquid Glass animation; it's moved core controls to
the right side of the screen for easier access; and it's optimized all of its own apps for the Duo's new form factor. And, of course, the Duo is still
keyed in to AirDrop, AirPlay, and other Apple conveniences.

If Apple is sensible enough to equip the Duo with the iPad versions of productivity and creative apps like Pages and Final Cut Pro, the new device could be a genuine portable workstation like nothing Samsung or Google have ever released. Apple simply has access to better software than Android
folding phones; it just has to leverage it. @techradar

Candy - Lane 8 & Quentin Quivera The iPad legacy (Image credit: Apple) On the subject of iPads, Apple has the best track record of any small tablet maker, bar none, thanks to the quality of the iPad mini, so the iPhone Duo already has a model of success to follow. Our list of the best tablets highlights the iPad mini as the best compact tablet , and has done so for years. What to read next Samsung just fixed the foldable phone now Apple can make it cool Here's how the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and iPhone Ultra will fix foldables in 2026 Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold review: a collection of
refinements that don't quite add up to perfection

We saw the iPhone Duo used in split-screen mode during the keynote, with
Apple showing off optimized apps from Netflix, Slack, and Detail, and telling us all about the performance of the A20 Pro mobile chipset. Considering the MacBook Neo , a full-on laptop, runs on an A18 chipset from two generations back, Im pretty confident that the iPhone Duo will be as powerful as any true tablet bar the M-series iPads.

Ive used and reviewed tablets from other manufacturers, and while Ive been impressed on occasion, these devices typically come nowhere close to the
iPads smooth performance and software optimization. And other folding phones have to contend with some jank as phone makers try to make the Android and off-the-shelf chipsets play ball with their specific screen size, resolution, and processing requirements. Apple's display pedigree (Image credit: Apple) What good is software without decent hardware to experience it on?

The iPhone Duo comes with two screens that share the same 10:14 aspect ratio, offering more consistency than taller foldables, with a nano-textured upper layer laser-lithographed to create a lens for each pixel. Apple also claims that the screen doesnt degrade over time due to a system of layered polymers that slide over one another as the screen moves.

As folding phone screens are known to peel and wear down, I won't pass judgment on the folding inner screen until I see it in person, but the excellence of Apple's previous iPhone and iPad displays gives me faith (at least when it comes to quality). Build quality Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Apple) (Image credit: Apple) (Image credit: Apple) (Image credit: Apple)
Image 1 of 4 View Original Image 2 of 4 View Original Image 3 of 4 View Original Image 4 of 4 View Original Apple spent plenty of time in the keynote talking about iPhone Duos durability. The phone is made of glass, ceramic inserts, and grade 5 titanium, and achieves the IP68 dust and water
resistance that Samsung and Google only recently achieved with their foldable devices. Also, its larger vapor chamber means it offers 35% better sustained performance than iPhone 18 Pro, by Apples own metrics.

In fairness, Samsung and Google build folding phones exceptionally well too but even at the sky-high prices foldables command, this isnt a given. Ive
used some folding phones that wobble around when partially opened, dont stay fully shut, or show signs of screen peeling after just a few weeks of use. Apple will still have to earn my trust with the iPhone Duo, but the keynote suggests its engineering teams are on top form. The missing features aren't *that* important The iPhone Duo uses Touch ID, not Face ID (Image credit: Apple) Comment section debaters, get ready. Part of the reason I still want the iPhone Duo is that its missing features just dont matter that much at least to me.

While the iPhone Duo does lose Face ID, Ive always preferred in-button fingerprint scanners to any other kind of biometric security theyre faster, easier to use, and wont get blocked by a scarf or sunglasses. I love the scanner on my Oppo Find N6, for example.

I think Id miss the Action Button and telephoto camera, but these dont preclude the iPhone Duos software potential. With the iPhone Duos wide unfolded form factor, I can see why Apple ditched the button, as it may not
be useful when the phone is unfolded.

And TechRadar Phones Editor Axel Metz made peace with the iPhone Airs single camera , so Im sure the iPhone Duos dual camera system would be perfectly usable, even without the reach of the zoom lenses found on competing
foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

So, for me, Apple's first foldable iPhone was worth the wait at least on paper. I can't wait to get my hands on one and put it through its paces. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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